The Insights of George Carlin
"POLITICIANS. Everybody complains about politicians. Everybody says they suck. Well, where do people think these politicians come from anyway? Hah? They don't pass through a membrane from another reality.
They come from American parents, in American families, American homes, American schools, American churches, American businesses and American universities. And they are elected by American voters. This is the best we can do! This is all we have to offer. This is what our system produces. Garbage in, garbage out, folks.
If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're gonna have selfish, ignorant leaders. Simple as that. Term limits ain't gonna do ya any good. You're just gonna wind up with a whole brand-new bunch of selfish, ignorant Americans."
~ George Carlin
Holiday Psychosis, and the Project Plague
They should call it
I can definitely say that the holidays have definitely gotten somewhat easier to deal with. Then again, I'm probably delusional. We'll go with that.
Jana and I managed to hit up both families for Christmas this year over the course of three weeks. We just wrapped up the "Christmas" weekend with her mom's side of the family this past weekend, though it was more of a glorified relaxation weekend. Semantics. I'll take it either way.
I recently got on the Pinterest band wagon, mainly in an effort to help promote my photography and to not feel like a social outcast. So far, it's pretty good. I just hope not to come across as a desperate, bored housewife with a camera and no hobbies.
In other news, K-State lost in the Cotton Bowl, but probably would've won the Sugar Bowl, judging by the snore-fest that was. LSU and Alabama was a giant yawner (as everyone expected), and the Chiefs have made two great moves toward...mediocrity. Again.
Rick Santorum is a racist asshole. Newt Gingrich is a racist, unfaithful asshole, Ron Paul has lost his mind, and Mitt Romney is a massive tool. Honestly, I can't find any viable candidate in the GOP this year because of the wacko-psychotic mentality adopted by Republicans everywhere it seems. Whatever. I'll elaborate on that later.
I am about finished with a major project at work in developing an e-commerce portal for the 911 Custom website that I manage at work. I hope to launch sometime this week or next, based on who gets me the material I need soon. I'm about to overhaul the Busch & Associates website as well.
I've also gotten on board with a couple of individuals from the KC area on a project dubbed "816 Strong", meant to promote local businesses over large corporate chains. We're in the process of developing things (we just barely got started), but for anyone who wants to check things out, head on over to the Testing Portion of the site and check it out.
The truck is almost done as a project vehicle. All that's left is the console and a re-wire project, and it's up to snuff. Pics to come.
-BW
The BCS is a crock of shit...
I'm a little late on this, being that it's not yet 24-hours after the BCS selection show and bowl selection announcements, but it's still relevant (at least 10 years ago, it would've been).
The BCS was created in 1998 specifically with the purpose of assuring that the #1 and #2 teams in college football were paired up for a national title game, and to effectively eliminate the possibility of split championships, as seen in '91 between Miami and Washington, and in '97 with Nebraska and Michigan (just two of dozens of examples).
The problem with the previous system was that national champions were selected primarily based on rankings from the AP Top 25 poll, the USA Today Coaches Poll, and even the ESPN Power Rankings. Ironically, the BCS, designed to fix the problems created by those polls (split titles, inconsistent ranking variables, etc.),
So we go from using an ineffective, inconsistent, and unreliable system, to relying on a system based upon the previous ineffective, inconsistent, and unreliable system.
That, to me, is a whole new level of dumb-stupid.
But anybody who isn't a complete moron knows that everything is based on television ratings, fan attendance, and whether or not Kirk Herbstreit is actively fellating the coach of the #1 team in the country (which usually only happens if they're from the SEC, the Big Ten, or if they happen to be Pete Carroll, Bob Stoops, or Mack Brown).
And this fact then begs the question: why even have the BCS, or much less ANY ranking system, at the end of the year, if we're not going to rely on them to not only determine who plays for the national title game, but who gets what bowl game bids? Obviously the BCS is just as meaningless as the previous rankings/polls/fusterclucks if it can't fulfill the intent of its design--put #1 and #2 in the title game, and 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, and 9/10 in the remaining four BCS bowls.
Take for example the 2003 National Championship. OU lost to KSU in the Big XII title game, and then to LSU in the 2004 Sugar Bowl, which was effectively the National Championship game. LSU
What the hell? The BCS at this point can't even fill the Five BCS Bowls Each Year without screwing over somebody. Of the five this year, two don't have teams from the BCS Top 10 (the Orange Bowl and the Sugar Bowl). Of the BCS Top 10 teams, four aren't even in a BCS Bowl (6, 7, 8, and 9).
And here's where things get really stupid: the BCS relies primarily on mathematical algorithms and formulas to determine the rankings (which ironically also relies on the same, broken rankings as before). This typically gets things relatively correct most of the time, but it doesn't take into consideration two things: moral victories, and conference tie-breaks. A team that can't win its own conference shouldn't play for the national title. Period. (Alabama, I'm lookin' at you).
Why are we still on this moronic system that serves as a front for corporate television networks (*COUGHESPNCOUGH*) that panders to one or two conferences in the syst--oh wait, nevermind.
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© 2011 Brandon M. Worf. All rights reserved.